Georgia Tech Football 2020: Q&A - UCF

By now, you guys know how this works. I exchange questions with the sister site of whatever team we’re playing during the season. I ask questions about their team... how they’re feeling about the matchup, what / who to watch for, etc. This week, that seemed like a foreign concept to their blog. They asked me a bunch of questions about their own team, like, the sort of stuff I would usually ask them about. So obviously the UCF end of this Q&A that they’ll be posting isn’t very informational, because it’s me trying to answer questions about them... for some reason? Why would I know enough about the University of Central Florida football team to answer questions about them? I can barely keep them straight from USF most of the time.

It’s been a confusing process this week.

I sent them reasonable questions for this portion. Their writer, Jeremy Brener, responded with mostly abbreviated answers and trash talk. It’s still posted here, because we need to generate that sweet, sweet #content.¯\_(ツ)_/¯

1) The Heupel hire seemed to come out of nowhere - he had mixed success as a coach prior and doesn’t have any ties to UCF. What made him the logical candidate to replace Scott Frost and how did UCF settle on him?

Scott Frost did absolutely everything he could do in his two years here. He was literally perfect. Heupel was walking into a situation where he would win a lot, but also where he could not do better than Frost. So, when a team goes 22-4 over a two year span, Heupel gets the blame because Frost went undefeated.

Heupel has still done a great job with the program. I think UCF hired him because of the offense he helped run at Missouri with Drew Lock and he’s a National Champion QB, just like Frost was. He’s kept UCF in the conversation as one of the best teams in the country and has continued the winning tradition that the program has built.

(Editor’s note: UCF finished ranked #24 last season).

2) I’m going to be honest with you, I haven’t watched UCF play since some of the Auburn game. What can you tell me about UCF’s offensive style? Has it changed much since Frost’s departure or has Heupel leaned into the same, high-flying offense?

It’s still UCFast. Dillon Gabriel comes from the same pipeline as McKenzie Milton and the offense hasn’t skipped too many beats. Gabriel was a true freshman last year and the team won 10 games. Gabriel should be even better in 2020, which should make a great offense even better.

3) Dillon Gabriel is the first person the Tech defense will need to try and slow down, both through the air and when he scrambles, but who else on offense will need to have a good day for UCF to win on Saturday?

Otis Anderson and Greg McCrae are both senior RBs with experience. They can be a two-headed monster out of the backfield and they are both different backs. McCrae will run the ball down your throat where Anderson can be a receiving threat out of the backfield. I’m expecting big days for both of them.

4) The Tech offense is 2 years into an entirely new scheme and rolling out a true freshman QB with only one game of experience under his belt. What unit of the UCF defense will need to have the best day in order to be successful, and which unit are you most worried about?

The defensive line is the group I’m most intrigued by. They lost Brendon Hayes as he graduated and Kalia Davis is opting out this season. Kenny Turnier should be the leader on the line and apply that pressure for Sims.

5) Is there any reason to go to Orlando if you’re not interested in visiting Disney?

Yes. Orlando is far more than just Disney. As someone who isn’t a born Floridian, I’ve grown to appreciate what Orlando has to offer as one of the nation’s growing cities.

6) College football twitter is still fond of the Civil ConFLiCT- does UCF have any big annual rivals besides USF? Who would you rank as second?

The haters. UCF has plenty of them, but all UCF is looking for is an opportunity to prove that we’re the best team in football to everyone in the nation. And I believe they’ve earned that right.

(Editor’s Note: He’s dead serious)

(Editor’s Note 2: LOL)

7) And finally, how do you see Saturday’s game going? Who wins and how?

UCF 48-24. I see UCF’s defense struggling a little bit at first, but in the second half they hold their own. The offense is just too much for GT to stop.

I wanted to like and cheer for UCF after their “national title” season, because they were a fun team and that bowl game was awesome... plus they were claiming a natty they didn’t actually win, much like Alabama has done over the years. However, their fans were immediately so insufferable on social media, that they lost their “darlings” crown almost immediately. I wish we here at FTRS could say any of us who dealt with them this week had a different experience... but reader, we have not. Through this blog, on socials, etc... you would think we’re playing Ohio State this week.

Prior to writing this I had to google which mascot was their’s because UCF and USF are the same to me, which is also the case for much of the nation.

Anyway, hopefully this was mildly informative.

Go Jackets, beat the golden black Knights / Bulls.

... There’s still no reason to visit Orlando.